With the ACC holding its collective breath over anticipated and rumored additions to the Cal men’s swimming roster for championship season, at least one of those names have already been added to their roster: Estonian Lars Antoniak is joining the Golden Bears for the spring semester. The team’s official roster lists him as a freshman.
Antoniak committed in March, but didn’t race in the fall semester.
Antoniak, 19, has represented his country internationally at a handful of minor meets. That includes the 2024 Nordic Championships in November, where he won gold in both the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke in short course meters.
He also represented Estonia at the Nordic Championships in 2023, the Berlin stop of the World Cup in 2023, the 2023 European Junior Swimming Championships, and the 2023 World Junior Swimming Championships.
His best finish at World Juniors came in the 200 breaststroke, where he placed 9th in prelims.
Best Times (with Yards Conversions):
| LCM | SCM |
SCY (Conversion)
|
|
| 50 free | 23.98 | 22.95 | 20.67 |
| 100 free | 53.5 | 51.8 | 46.01 |
| 200 free | 2:08.68 | 1:54.04 | 1:42.73 |
| 50 breaststroke | 28.89 | 27.9 | 25.12 |
| 100 breaststroke | 1:03.58 | 59.58 | 53.67 |
| 200 breaststroke | 2:16.74 | 2:10.66 | 1:57.71 |
| 200 IM | 2:10.25 | 2:01.64 | 1:49.58 |
Antoniak has been better in short course than long course so far in his career, giving him a chance at an immediate impact for the Golden Bears – at least at the conference level. He swam at the California Invitational over the weekend, placing 3rd in the 100 breaststroke in 56.19. The meet was a joint club/college meet hosted by Cal.
The team’s breaststroke group is led by this season by standout newcomer Yamato Okadome, who swam 50.87 at the mid-season Minnesota Invitational. They have two swimmers who have been 51s this season (Hank Rivers and Luca Pusateri-Gissendaner), and two have been 52s (Jacob Soderlund and Zachary Tan).
Highly-touted breaststroke recruit Nick Mahabir, who graduated high school in 2024, has not competed yet this season. He is likely working through his military service in Singapore.
There are a few other rumors circulating about swimmers that Cal is attempting to add to their roster later this season, but a Cal coach declined to share beyond “we’re still working on things.”
At the moment, the Golden Bears appear to be on the wrong side of the three-team national title chase with Indiana and Texas, two teams that both made significant mid-season additions to their roster, but a key addition or two could upend that pecking order in a hurry.
This is a 4 year kid who committed a year ago and is unlikely to make an impact this year (if ever).
But carry on freaking out about Cal “cheating” because it fits your narrative.
A lot of people mad over someone who’s best time in the 100y breast is 56.1…
it appears camille henveaux has arrived on campus on the womens side. a couple more blue chip international recruits and theyre going to be challenging for the title in a year or two…
As usual, Marsh workin’ that phone. Whatever
Congratulations. Go bears!
I mean…meh.
I’m hoping it was the 2023 Nordic Champs and not the 2013 unless they were bringing 8/unders to the Nordic Champs!
Thank you Josh Huger and Dave Marsh to destroy the reputation and legacy of cal swimming